Happy Halloween everyone. Have fun tonight and drive safe! Please watch for small children and, if you’re drinking, please designate a driver.
Monthly archives for October, 2011
Fiction Monday: Glitter Girl by Erin Quinn O’Briant
What happens when you put one “way out” liberal lesbian sister and one straight, far right, conservative, religious sister in the same room? You get the dynamic of probably 5-10% of modern American families; that’s what happens!
Author Erin Quinn O’Briant has, in a novel, nailed scenes playing out in kitchens and living rooms everywhere with characters that so resemble people that many lesbians know (or know of) that you may find yourself looking over your shoulder to see if the author is watching you and your family. Her book is the June 2010 Lit Books publication, Glitter Girl
Gloria is one of two daughters of 1960s era hippie parents who still live a laid back, liberal lifestyle that shuns God, organized religion and most forms of big business and government policies. Gloria’s sister, Angie is her polar opposite: a right wing, deeply religious conservative who left the family nest. The sisters disagree on everything but love each other anyway.
This book will have you turning pages and laughing out loud. One caution: If you’re a sensitive, God fearing, right wing conservative you probably shouldn’t read it. It may just make you mad. Ms. O’Briant has a knack for satire which she employs effectively with characters that reflect extreme stereotypes like, for example, the ultra hippie parents. Do remember that this is a work of fiction that’s comedy based. You’ll be fine if you can take it in the spirit in which it was intended.
Gay Rights and Moral Panic: The Origins of America’s Debate on Homosexuality
Say the name Anita Bryant to any gay or lesbian person who was a politically conscious adult in the late 1970s and you’re sure to get a swift reaction that can run the gamut from an eye roll and shake of the head to full on anger. Back in the day, she was an enormously popular actress and singer who also was one of the first “spokes models” or television “pitch men” that most people over the age of 40 really remember. She shilled Florida orange juice for the Florida Citrus Commission in nationally televised day time and prime time commercials.
In 1977, Bryant led a successful campaign as the point person for the newly established political organization, “Save Our Children” to get a freshly minted Miami law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation repealed. She would go on to lead the charge to withhold or repeal gay rights initiatives in several more cities around the country finally only failing when she opposed a proposed law in California that would have given school systems the right to fire teachers for simply making supportive statements about homosexuality or homosexuals. Credit for the overwhelming defeat of the initiative is given, in large measure, to then Governor Ronald Reagan who opposed it vehemently.
So, it was Anita Bryant who, in 1977, spearheaded the whole Christian Right movement against gay civil rights that we are still fighting against today. It’s against that backdrop that the book, Gay Rights and Moral Panic: The Origins of America’s Debate on Homosexuality
The January 2011 book was written by Fred Fejes, Ph.D., a professor of Media Studies in the Multimedia Journalism sequence at Florida Atlantic University.
The publishers synopsis of Dr. Fejes’ book:
In 1977 and 1978, voters across the country went to the polls in a series of referenda to decide whether lesbians and gay men were citizens deserving equal protection under the law—or perverts and outcasts. These contests served as the first national debate about gay rights, and set the pattern that still shapes this controversy today. Focusing on the first major referendum battle in Miami and moving outward, Gay Rights and Moral Panic is a lively and detailed account of these campaigns, which pitted the civil rights claims of America’s lesbians and gay men against society’s powerful beliefs and fears about homosexuality.
And some pertinent reviews:
“Histories of the gay rights movement tend to concentrate on the Stonewall Riots, but Fejes offers a different perspective on the struggle for equal rights for gays and lesbians, as well as an account of the rise of the conservative Christian movement that explores in depth its relationship to the modern gay rights movement. After reading this extended narrative of political struggles to secure human rights for gays and lesbians, readers will be inclined explore how the struggle for gay rights compares to other notable struggles for justice and equality. Fejes’ narrative skill argues well that, regardless of the specific outcomes, a stronger, bolder homosexual identity as a political force emerged in the aftermath of the 1977 and 1978 campaigns.”—Journal of Homosexuality
“The fight for gay civil rights did not begin in Greenwich Village nor end in the Castro. There have been many battlefields in this long struggle and Miami has played a central role in our ongoing fight for equality. Gay Rights and Moral Panic will take a central place on the list of indispensable works for anyone wishing to understand the past–and the present–of sexual minorities in America.”–Larry Gross, Professor and Director, USC Annenberg School for Communication
Site Updates and Additions – LGBT Activism, Sports, Entertainment
It’s hard to believe that it’s only been 5 months since I transitioned the “old” Shelly’s Bookstore website from a group of static pages about my eBay business to this thriving, growing book review blog and site. The word “growth” does not even begin to describe what’s happening to my little book review corner of the web!
One of the issues I face as a blogger is finding a way to make the books I recommend available to you in an easy to browse format. In the beginning, most people came to the blog page of this site because they were drawn by a feed or a ping about a post. As time has passed, more and more people come to the site via the major search engines. They land on either a single post for a specific review rather than on the main blog page (which only shows the last 10-12 posts) or, increasingly, they land on a static topic page like “Biographies” or “Lesbian Fiction”. I created these topic pages to make it easier to browse and find books.
One area that has proved to be a constant breeding ground for new static pages is the broad “Non-fiction” category. There is a main non-fiction page. On it, I point the reader to the links for all of the sub-categories under non-fiction and then, after that, I list non-fiction books that have been reviewed that don’t fit in any of the previously existing subcategories. As I start to accumulate a lot of listed books I start creating new categories for them. That’s what happened last night!
I worked late last night setting up two new LGBT related non-fiction category pages:
Then, after I created those pages and moved content from the main non-fiction page and, in the case of “sports”, from the biography page, I realized that I had a lot of entertainment industry biographies that were mentioned on the bio page but that were not included on the entertainment page. Back to the drawing board I went to get those on said entertainment page where they’ll, hopefully, be well received.
So there you have it, two new categories and an updated one!
Oh, and one more thing: Be prepared to see lots of additions to the sports page in the future. I’m definitely a sports nut and I’ve got some great reviews lined up and coming soon.
Friday Movie Review: Beautiful Thing – Glenn Berry, Linda Henry & Scott Neal
It’s finally Friday! Hooah! Sorry…that’s the former Army sergeant coming out of me. It’s been a long week. I’m glad to have a couple days off from my two “formal” even though I’ll be spending the weekend immersed in all things eBay. I have a huge consignment for my mother in law who is doing a top to bottom cleaning out of the home she’s lived in for nearly 30 years. Not to mention, I need to generate some extra cash anyway for that insurance deductible I have to pay to get my car back when it’s fixed after the accident…
Anyway, on to the movie review. Up this week is the DVD of the British television production, Beautiful Thing
There is one caution: This story is based on two teens from working class London. They don’t have the “proper” British accent most of us have no trouble with. They have a more Cockney style. I adjusted quickly and was able to understand everything easily enough. My wife struggled in a few places but she was too prideful to let me turn on the closed captioning for her.
Now then, on to the synopsis and the reviews! Enjoy!
Amazon.com essential video Description:
This absolute winner, based on a stage play by Jonathan Harvey and adapted by him, is a kind of enchanted, urban slice-of-life tale about a gay teen, Jamie (Glen Berry), who is in love with the boy next door, Ste (Scott Neal). Hampering Jamie’s progress on the romantic front is his fear that his mother (Linda Henry) will find out, as well as concern over complicating Ste’s existing problems. Beautiful Thing is a relationship movie, to be sure, but that description doesn’t really describe the buoyant tone of this British television production. Democratic in its inclusive regard for each character (whether camera-pretty or not), the film–well-directed by Hettie Macdonald–is full of surprises. Chief among them is the terrific personality of Jamie’s mum, a strong and independent woman who truly worries over and adores her son. But this is a movie involved in a kind of happy dialogue with itself: the tunes of Mama Cass, for instance, play a part in both the story and overall ambience, while a strategic placement of the Rodgers and Hammerstein chestnut “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” during an act of love is fun and exciting. –Tom Keogh
Here, also, are a couple of rave reviews from “regular people” like you and me:
M. FUSCO “yawnmower” (NEW YORK, NY)
There are many ‘coming out’ and gay-themed movies these days, but none is more heart-breaking — or heart-warming — than this one. Glen Berry and Scott Neal are perfect as Jamie and Ste, two troubled working-class London boys coming to terms with their sexuality, each other, and the homophobic world around them. Ste lives with an abusive father and older brother who have made him feel ugly. Jamie and his mum take him in, and the boys bunk together. They discover love to the accompaniment of “You are sixteen, going on seventeen, unprepared for a world of men”. The music (a lot of Mama Cass, but also some lovely, bittersweet original stuff for string quartet) is deftly woven into the fabric of the film’s story, and is an integral part of its structure. After a fight, Jamie and Ste kiss to Mama Cass singing “You gotta make your own kind of music”. The ending is as uplifting and sweet as any on film. The surprising thing is that this wonderful movie was made for British television. I wish more films could be as fresh, touching, and honest as this bright, shining little gem.
and,
Jon Rydin “~Zee MaZteR of Pop Culture~” (Chicago, IL United States)
An emotionally tender & wonderful coming of age film, “Beautiful Thing” is an essential addition to your “alternative” movie section.
The story centers around Jamie (Berry) and Ste (Neal), 2 teenage classmates and neighbors in a working-class development in London. Jamie is a reserved teen sharing a normal relationship with his single, pub manager Mom (Henry). Ste lives an emotionally and physically abused life at the hands of his single father and older brother. What transpires between them is a very tender and emotional tale of first love and budding homosexuality. Awakening sexual desire, guilt, fear and, eventually, love is played out in an honest & sincere fashion.
The entire cast is superb. As Jamie & Ste, Glen Berry & Scott Neal give their characters a sweet and emotionally accurate innocence… especially when joyously galavanting through a forest together and sharing a long kiss. Linda Henry is exquisite as Jamie’s Mom, Sandra. She delivers a fantastic and multi-layered performance as a woman trying to deal with her own life, in addition to her son. As the Mamas & the Papas loving neighbor Leah, Tameka Empson graciously adds some needed turbulence (comically and otherwise).
The script is heartfelt, comical (some moments between Sandra & Leah are a bitingly hilarious), and fresh. Definitely a wonderful comedy-drama and, perhaps, the best coming out film of the decade.
A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men…and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played
I played a little tennis growing up…not much but a little. We did a bit of it in Jr. High gym class in the spring a couple of different years. I also belonged to a Masonic sponsored organization for girls growing up that liked to have it’s annual “Grand Assembly” (think state convention) every summer on the campus of Penn State University. For a few days before the start of the big meet-up, we would select and take a continuing education course. They were usually in things that held no interest for me as a teenage tomboy like decorating and singing but a couple of years they did offer racket sports so I jumped on those classes. I never played the game well. I was more partial to the all out assault of racquetball, but I digress.
My review today is of author Marshall Jon Fisher’s excellent book, A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played
This is a riveting personal story whether you’re a tennis fan or not.
Book Review: Muscle Boys: Gay Gym Culture by Erick Alvarez
I have to admit, I initially picked up this book, Muscle Boys: Gay Gym Culture
Sadly, I didn’t get my answer in this book. That said, this book was an absolutely fascinating look at urban gay culture. While it doesn’t necessarily focus on big city “muscle boys” as their referred to, the vast majority of gay gyms are in large metro areas and the lifestyles described in the book often focus on activities and interactions in those types of areas.
Here’s the rather lengthy Amazon.com Product Description:
Find out why the gym has become the hottest place to work up a good sweat!
Muscle Boys: Gay Gym Culture is an inside look at the secret world of exercise and fitness that’s become one of the country’s fastest growing and most influential gay subcultures. The author, a personal trainer on the San Francisco gay gym scene for more than a decade, examines the history, sociology, and influence of bodybuilding, male body image, and beefcake media, and incorporates the results of an online study of nearly 6,000 gay and bisexual men for an in-depth look at gay body culture and its role in modern gay life.
Over the past 20 years, the physical and social trends of the gay gym have traveled far from the gay “ghettos” of New York and San Francisco, thanks to the modern gay man’s ability to travel – both online and off. What was once a lifestyle for a small number of trendy gay men in big cities has become a way of life for many and the gay gym has become a subculture all its own. Muscle Boys includes interviews and profiles, photographs, and research findings on masculinity, steroids, sex in the locker room, and much more!
Muscle Boys examines:
the history of the ancient Greek gym culture and the Greek ideal
the modern male body ideal – and the gay influences that created it
body image in gay culture and its effect on modern gay socialization
muscle media – a history of homoerotic muscle-bound photography, pornography, and advertising
popular gay cultures and stereotypes (athletes, muscle boys, circuit boys, muscle bears, muscle daddies)
the gym, fitness, and HIV
fitness and health for gay baby boomers and seniors
gay athletics
steroids
sex in the locker room
and much moreMuscle Boys is a must read for anyone interested in gay body culture and for academics working in GLBT studies, human sexuality, psychology, and gay athletics.
A couple of notes of caution are in order:
- This is not a pictorial full of Muscle Boys. If that’s what you’re looking for, this isn’t the book.
- The author is an athletic trainer turned researcher and writer. He’s not an academic but he did a very credible job here. The book starts with a brief history of the gay gym. He does talk numbers and statistics and such. Those things may bore you but he writes very well. Stick with him into the meat of the book. You’ll be glad you did.
Alice in Genderland: A Crossdresser Comes of Age by Richard J. Novic
I’m in, I think, about the middle of an ongoing effort to learn more about what it means to be transgender in an effort to better understand the “T” group among our LGBT brothers and sisters.
In the past, I was informed that not all men who cross dress as women are gay or bisexual, nor do they necessarily want to be women. I’ve been told that many do it “just” to entertain as in, for drag shows. By and large, as I’ve spent more time in the LGBT community, I find the 2nd of those two things to be actually, primarily true. Most of these men do feel more comfortable as women and they do want to actually be women. Some will transition, many will not. Perhaps this is just my own personal experience and in the broader community there’s a more even division. I don’t know.
The most recent book I’ve read is an intimate portrait of cross dressing by Richard J. Novic M.D., himself a crossdresser, Alice in Genderland: A Crossdresser Comes of Age
One caution: Novic’s wife is, apparently, accepting of his desires both to dress as a woman and of his need to have a boyfriend and/or to have “gay” sex. A lot of readers have a lot of heartburn with him “cheating” on his wife. I use the quotes because Novic does not see it as cheating. Not being one to cast stones (people who live in glass houses…), I’ll reserve my opinion on that particular topic and let you, as the reader be his judge, or not, as you wish.
Fiction Monday (sort of): Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave
Okay, I admit it, today’s book review isn’t really “fiction”. It’s a review of the Australian playwright Tommy Murphy’s adaption for the stage of Timothy Conigrave’s bestselling autobiographical work, Holding the Man
Timothy (Tim) Conigrave was an Australian actor, writer and activist who died of an AIDS related illness in October of 1994. He finished Holding the Man, a book about his 15 year love affair with John Caleo, just before his death. John had succumbed to cancer in January of 1992. They were both diagnosed as HIV positive in 1985.
Some will stay this is a story of AIDS. It is that, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also a coming out of the closet of sorts story. It’s a coming to terms with family and society story. Most of all though, theirs is a relationship story and a love story that isn’t gender important. If you’ve ever been truly in love, you’ll see yourself in these two men no matter if you’re gay or straight, male or female.
You may laugh a bit during this story. There is much joy in romance. Quite frankly though, I don’t care how hard hearted you think you are, you’re also going to cry. There’s no fairy tale ending here. The decline of John and the end of the book are filled with suffering, grief and raw emotion. Be prepared for that.
Trust me, you won’t be down after you read this even though it ends so sadly. You’ll be lifted.
So, You Want Your Book Reviewed? Here’s How…
One of the nice things about being a book blogger is that, as you gain readers, you discover more authors. There are many new authors and many established authors out there with exciting new works of both fiction and non-fiction that run the gamut of LGBT related topics. I’m starting to get many, many requests for review and requests to feature books on this site.
Reality is that I’m a one woman show and I don’t do this full time. I have a full time job, a part time job and an eBay business. Also, I actually make very little money doing this. In fact, what I make doesn’t cover the expense of maintaining the site…so I really make nothing. I do it for pleasure. I’d read most of the books I review here anyway.
While I hate to “stifle creativity”, I’m getting swamped with requests I can’t even begin to touch. I’ve decided the time has come to lay out some ground rules for reviews. So, here we go; I’ll review your book if:
- you contact me first and tell me about your book and why you’re seeking a review. Shelly @ shellysbookstore . com. No spaces around the @ symbol and the period.
- it’s finished and published by a mainstream publisher or in a print on demand format and you can send me a printed copy. A review copy is fine. A PDF that you print yourself is fine. I’m not able to sit at a PC all day and read an electronic PDF, nor can I print 300+ page works continuously. I’m sorry, but I cannot accept Kindle versions of books at this time. I don’t have a Kindle (though I’m hoping to get one soon) and I’m not allowed to use it at my full time job anyway – but I am allowed to read between assisting customers.
- it’s readily available for sale to the public even if only in an electronic format (like for the Kindle). You want to sell copies of your book. I want readers of this blog to buy copies of your book. I want them to be able to click a link from the post about your book and be taken to a secure site to buy it. Please note, this does not have to be Amazon, but it sure helps. If your new book isn’t at least available for the Amazon Kindle, you’re losing sales…that’s another post, for another time.
- it’s not pornographic. I will do cursory reviews of sexuality based works, but only those. We all know what porn is. This isn’t that kind of review blog, so I won’t go there. And, remember, I’m taking these books to work to read…enough said.
- it’s pro LGBT. I do get requests to review books by authors arguing against LGBT rights and/or arguing the points of the Bible, taking the stance that “gay is a sin” or “gay is a choice” or even, to this day, “gay is a disease”. All of these authors implore me to be fair and to give them equal time. Sorry, no! I’m a lesbian. This is my site. I’m here to review books that are of interest to me and to others in the LGBT community, my community.
That’s pretty much it. 5 simple guidelines. I look forward to your books!
Biography: Palm Trees on the Hudson by Elliot Tiber
Elliot Tiber (nee Elliot Teichberg) is an artist, writer, and screenwriter who is the most famous for his 2007 memoir, Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life
Taking Woodstock is not the book I want to review today. Oh, it’s certainly a great read but, his 2010 memoir, Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland & Interior Decorating
Here’s the publisher’s description of the book:
Palm Trees on the Hudson is the hilarious prequel to Elliot Tiber’s bestseller Taking Woodstock. Before Elliot found financial success by bringing Woodstock Ventures to his upstate motel, he was one of Manhattan’s leading interior designers. Then Elliot’s career came to a halt due to a floating society party, Judy Garland, and the Mob.
In April 1968, Elliot was hired to throw an elegant dinner party aboard a luxury yacht on the Hudson River. Included on the guest list were New York’s rich and famous–politicians, financiers, and even Elliot’s icon, Judy Garland. The big night arrived. But when a fight broke out, resulting in the destruction of everything including the rented palms, Elliot’s event turned into a financial disaster. Things couldn’t get any worse–or so it seemed, until the Mob paid him a visit.By turns comic and tragic, Palm Trees on the Hudson is the take-no-prisoners memoir that gives readers a more intimate look at the man who went on to fight back at Stonewall and who helped give birth to the Woodstock Nation.
Tiber tells a personal story here that many gays that came of age in the 1950s and 1960s will understand and that younger gay and lesbian readers can get a lot out of. He was closeted early because he had to be. He entered a profession – interior design – where his sexuality was accepted and he could live more freely. He was doing well and he had it all and, then, in one fell swoop, he lost it all and had to return to his roots. It’s quite a tale!
Accidents, Police and Insurance Companies…Oh My!
Before yesterday, I’d only had one accident where I was the driver. Tat was when I smacked my motorcycle into a parked car and broke my hand and my pride – but the world otherwise continued to spin. Really, the only “car” accident I’d ever been involved in was a minor fender bender where I was a backseat passenger. I’ve been fortunate…or, at least, I was until yesterday.
Columbus, Ohio was established by German immigrants 200 years or so ago. Exactly how long ago depends on who you ask. There’s a quaint area of town that’s aptly named “German Village”. It’s full of pre-1950s homes on a maze of one way brick streets that people are allowed to park along because there are no garages or even driveways. The church that I work at part time is on the edge of German Village on just such a street. Yesterday I meandered out of our little parking lot and off toward the “main road”, High Street to head to my full time job a couple of miles north.
The road that I travel to get to High Street ends at High. There’s an offset intersection there with another road that I must take very slight left jog to get on. I can only turn right on High or take that jog. Lefts are not allowed. Drivers coming from the other side of the offset have the same rules and must do the same thing. High is a busy street but most people traveling that intersection are familiar with it’s offset quirk and there aren’t usually any problems.
Yesterday were were experiencing our 3rd straight day of steady rain. The traffic light was green as I approached the offset intersection. I followed another car out. Glancing to my immediate left, as I proceeded through, I first saw a bad 2 car collision and then a couple of police cruisers and a fire truck. That glance took all of a second. In the very next instant my world view changed as a Hummer H3 coming off of the other side of the offset jog barreled into me. I’m okay but a grand mess was made of my driver’s side front quarter panel and skirting.
I don’t know if the other driver swung wide to avoid the accident and continue through the offset streets or if she was actually trying to make an illegal left because she wasn’t familiar with the intersection and she thought she had the right of way. She had plenty of time to study the scene while we waited for the police to come and deal with us so, when she finally spoke to me, she claimed she was trying to do what she was supposed to have been doing and would say nothing else other than to ask twice if I had insurance.
After moving our cars…hers easily, mine with some careful steering, we cooled our heels for half an hour waiting for the police officers who were less than 50 yards away to get to us. They finally sent a very young female officer over to explain that “because of the volume of injury accidents we have today, we aren’t responding to any calls where there are no injuries”. She handed us each a form, asked us to exchange information and to call our insurance companies and she went back to the injury accident.
The only witness to our accident was the cop that was RIGHT THERE when it happened. He’s not talking. Everyone else kept driving. My insurance company was understanding but they let me know this is probably going to be a dispute situation and it will likely end up with each company paying for their own driver. WTF? That sucks… My rates will likely go up as will hers unless my team can somehow get her to admit distraction or straying into my lane. She seemed like a smart lady. I don’t see that happening.
Oh well, we’re both okay and the world is still spinning. I guess I’ll move on. Back to reviewing tomorrow when this tension headache passes…
Recent Comments